This guide will help you discover places to travel in Nepal.
Travel to places in Nepal like the top of the Annapurna Circuit

If you’ve never been to Nepal before, or are wondering where you can travel to or what there is to see then this page will help you. While Nepal is primarily known for its mountains and trekking there are many other breathtaking places you can travel to.

One aspect of traveling to places in Nepal that you should keep in mind is infrastructure. Nepal is largely a rugged country so just because something is 60km away doesn’t mean it’s easy to reach. That 60km could take all day if it’s in a mountainous zone or place with bad roads.

Throughout this guide you will discover places to travel in Nepal with individual links to the best travel guides to Nepal which will help you further explore specific sites or destinations.

Did you know?

The best way to book a bus ticket to travel in Nepal is via a travel agent and not the bus company - agents get discounted rates!

West and East Nepal are different due to Nepals geographic position as a country. To the west there are both mountains, jungles and valleys. While to the east there are mountains and flatlands along with valleys.
For the purposes of keeping things easy some of west and east Nepal will fall into north and south Nepal.

Northern Nepal is filled with rugged Himalayan mountains. A fabled area for trekkers over the decades.

The most popular trek is in the north east and known as the Everest Base Camp trek, then there’s the Langtang trekking area, followed by Manaslu, the epic Annapurna mountain range while finally in the north west there’s Upper Mustang.

All of the above involve a combination of travel by local transport and flights. However the only way to truly access trekking areas is by foot.

Another place to travel in northern Nepal is into Tibet via an overland route. There are also flights from Kathmandu to Lhasa but by far the best way to make the journey is by land.

Near the border of Tibet is also a world famous Bungy jump along with canyoning and tandem swings which people book in Kathmandu or Pokhara.

Central Nepal is normally referred to as the Kathmandu Valley, however it does stretch out much further with many more places to travel.

Places to travel in Kathmandu city

Kathmandu city is the capital of Nepal and the central travel hub for all Nepal due to the international/domestic airport and bus stations. The ancient city itself is a maze of places to travel to for tourists in terms of heritage and souvenir shopping.

Most of Kathmandu city’s heritage can be accessed by foot via the heritage walks or by cycle rickshaw or taxi.

Outside the central city are places like Boudhanath, Pashupatinath, Kirtipur and Swayambhunath which are all short taxi rides away.

Places to travel around the Kathmandu Valley

Outside of Kathmandu city you will be rewarded by more culture plus day hikes and activities in lush valleys.

Places to travel around the Kathmandu Valley include Patan, Bhaktapur, Thimi, Panauti, Kailashnath Mahadev and Gokarna. While some places like Bhaktapur make wonderful overnight stays others like Patan could be done on a day trip.

Places with fewer tourists include Thimi, Panauti and Gokarna. While popular destinations like Patan and Bhaktapur during peak season can get crowded.

Travel Guides to Destinations in outside the Kathmandu Valley

Pokhara is in central west Nepal and is hugely popular tourist destination with many adventure and outdoor activities along with relaxing areas.

The central hub of activities in Pokhara are located around the Lakeside area beside Lake Phewa. A short bus journey away are the Lakes of Begnas and the pristine Rupa Lake.

From Pokhara's Lakeside you can travel by foot to the World Peace Stupa which overlooks Phewa Lake or take to the skies in a paraglider or microplane to travel over the Annapurna Mountains.

Hill walkers and trekkers can do easy day hikes to Sarangkot for mountain views or taking on a full circuit of Lake Phewa. Pokhara is also the most popular starting and ending point for all treks in the Annapurna region and the Mustang region.

The most popular places to travel in Nepal's south are mainly jungle based but there is much more to explore.

Chitwan National park is hugely popular for tiger spotting, jungle and elephant safaris along with some village visits.

Relatively near to Chitwan is Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, which is a huge flatland area in the Terai part of Nepal. There are over 20 Buddhist monasteries to visit in the development zone of Lumbini which you can reach either by foot, bicycle or rickshaw.

Far to the south near the Indian border is Janakpur the birthplace of the Goddess Sita and a former royal capital.

To the south west of Nepal is Bardia National Park which is a far remoter jungle area where royal Bengal tigers can be spotted along with one-horned rhinos and other wildlife.

With all these places to travel in Nepal it would be good to know how to get there. In each of the links on this page you’ll find details on how to get to every individual place. However it’s good to have a broad look at the best ways to get around Nepal to help you.

Domestic Flights: Nepal has several small domestic airports around the country. It’s not advisable to buy these tickets online. Credit card processing and online security along with infrastructure issues in Nepal means that virtually everyone simply uses travel agents to book flights.
Flights have timetables (in travel agents offices) but rarely depart or arrive on time.

Foreigners pay a separate (higher)price compared to locals. There have been safety issues with domestic airlines in Nepal.
People wishing to avoid long travel journeys across Nepal or are stuck for time usually avail of domestic flights.

Popular flights to shorten travel times to popular destinations include Kathmandu-Pokhara. Kathmandu-Lukla (Everest). Kathmandu-Nepalganj.

National Bus routes: Nepal’s bus services spread across the country and is the most popular method for tourists to get around. Daily tourist buses depart together at the same time from Kathmandu to Pokhara and Chitwan. Tickets are again obtainable through local travel agents and not directly from bus companies. Travel agents get a discount on tickets so it's cheaper to go with them than directly with a company. However, do shop around as travel agents also add a commission which varies.

There are some premium bus services like Greenline otherwise tourist buses are old 32 seaters. Local buses are larger, older with small seats. There are also mini-vans which are newer that ply popular destinations day and night but there have been several accidents with them.

Private cars/jeeps: hiring a car or jeep with a driver is a popular method to travel around Nepal quickly, safely and in relative comfort. It can get expensive though. But for rough terrain found in places like eastern Nepal or even in reaching places with limited public transport like Nuwakot they are invaluable.
If you need the name of a private jeep / driver company then you can contact me.